Have you ever wondered how you can get more information from the people you contact using the gift of spoken language and/or body language? The fact is that, in most cases, people will often tell you what you want to know when you handle it with tact, skill, practice, and patience. 

Incorporate these techniques

You can learn and incorporate some great techniques to extrapolate wanted information and practice these techniques to become more comfortable with them as you go. Asking the right questions, listening well, and using the proper tone of voice is the heart of effective communication. These all allow you to learn more, build better relationships, and manage your subject more effectively. As police officers, you are taught to be in command, clear, and concise, but what if you also listened more? An ancient Greek philosopher once said, “We were given two ears and one mouth so we can listen twice as much as we speak.”  If you flood a subject with too many questions all at one time, they might get flustered or feel threatened. Ask one question and then allow the other person to answer and listen to them carefully. It might just provide a follow-up question for you as well.  Instead of just asking, “What’s your address?” you could then ask, “Who else lives there with you?” Instead of just “Do you use drugs?”, you could ask, “What kind of drugs are in your system right now?”

Open-ended questions & YOUR body language

To further elaborate on the above, always try to use open-ended questions rather than one that requires just a yes or no answer. Ask one question at a time and let your subject expand on it as much as possible. Make good eye contact with the subject and use your body language to let them know you are actively listening. As officers, you know what to look for in a suspect’s body language, but have you thought about your own? Are your arms crossed as if to suggest you are not listening or don’t care? A defensive stance is important, but maybe not in all situations. How did you approach the subject?  Are they immediately threatened, or are they comfortable and receptive to answering a few questions?  

A need to be heard

Sometimes, a victim of a crime, or maybe even a suspect, just needs to be “heard.”  If you ask an open-ended question such as “Tell me what happened” or “Describe for me what you heard”, you might just get a whole lot more than you ever expected. “Give them an inch, they’ll take a mile” is another helpful quote that can work to your advantage. This type of interview or contact may take more of your time, but in the long run, you could gain some valuable information that will save time in the future. Listening also builds trust and respect. The next time you run across the same subject, they may remember that you were the one who really listened to them.

GangScope™

Once you have mastered these new techniques, you will find information flowing toward you and that is where GangScope comes in. With our database solution, you are not only storing suspects but also the various pieces of information you are able to gather. From cars to acquaintances to various addresses, you can input all of this data and intelligently search through it in the future.  To learn more about GangScope and how we can provide a solution for your gang data needs, please feel free to reach out to us at www.GangScope.com. 

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GangScope™ is an intelligence database that helps capture, analyze, search and share intelligence on criminals, gangs, and more. GangScope acts as a first-tier, internal database that manages data on known and suspected criminals and gang members. Intelligence is collected per incident and can include qualifiers, associates, acquaintances (points of contact), witnesses, images, and documents. GangScope’s collection of detailed information aids in investigations, analysis and ultimately solving crime. The software complies with standards outlined by federal (28 CFR) policies. While complying with standards, GangScope™ boasts usability through simple yet extensive data mining via search, reports, profiles, and watches.

To learn more or to schedule a full demo of our system – request a demo here. We would welcome the opportunity to show you how Gangscope can help your department organize and store your data in a secure and compliant way.

The GangScope Team